Boxers or Briefs
by mandymld
Summary: Part of the HHBB celebration, circa 1999, Liz leaves with Jason but first has to go to Wyndhams.


Boxers or Briefs?

Looking at the large blond man sleeping on her sofa, eighteen year old Elizabeth Webber bit her lips as she tried to find a way to get the answer without waking him up.

Staring at him, she tried to will away his clothes, but that created a slightly different problem as her mind found herself imagining strong muscled arms that when they were wrapped around her on his bike made everything in her tingle.

A chest that when she leaned back against it on the bike felt like home as she recalled the rides during the summer when he would only be wearing a t-shirt and through that thin piece of cotton, she had felt every single well defined rib, every single pectoral muscle.

And when she was riding behind him, she had often pressed her face into the well toned back and had wrapped her arms tightly around his flat stomach, the six pack abs that had made her thighs clench around his during those long fast rides.

With a sigh, she shook herself mentally, then stood, walking over to the blank canvas she had prepped, Elizabeth began to draw, her subconscious creating what her mind was slowly becoming obsessed with finding out.

"Elizabeth?" she heard her name being called and turned to check on Jason. Finding he was warm, she was beginning to worry about a fever when he reached out and captured her hands in his.

"Jason, you are really warm, we might need to call Bobbie. I think you have a fever from an infection." she said fretfully.

Jason gave a furtive look down at the rock hard evidence that he was NOT running a fever from an infection. Yes, he was warm, but that was the result of the very intense way Elizabeth had been staring at him before going to her easel.

He had spent the last few months dealing with this problem by ignoring it. In part because he had felt he owed it to Michael to try and make things work with Carly. But after seeing her coming down the stairs at Sonny's penthouse wearing his boss's shirt, he felt he owed her nothing.

Instead he could do what his heart and body had been telling his brain for several weeks. To wait until Elizabeth was over losing Lucky Spencer. Check, she had been spending a lot of time in her studio with him and he was certain of one thing. Elizabeth was finally past mourning the kid whose death that spring had been shocking.

She was finally old enough for him to think about that way, not that her grandmother would be very happy, nor would Sonny. While he had never been against Elizabeth, Jason had heard the concern from Sonny that Jason was too tied in knots by the young artist.

Well at this point, he didn't owe Sonny anything either, except his thanks for saving him from making a very big mistake in regards to Carly and his possible career choice. He was going to take Francis' advice and get out while he could.

Looking at Elizabeth, seeing her worry, he reached out and ran his hands over hers which was clenching the blanket covering him, clearly still concerned about his health. "Elizabeth, I am fine. I promise. Its just a little warm in here."

"Are you sure. Maybe my hands are a bit cold." she conceded relaxing her grip on the blanket a bit. "Here, I will try this, dad used to do this when we were kids."

With that, she stood, pressed her cheek against his forehead, unaware that she was doing nothing to relieve his growing warmth, instead causing his temperature to rise as her breasts were inches away from his face.

Hearing him groaning, she quickly looked down to see he was in pain. She could see that clearly something was hurting him. "Jason, I have to get Bobbie, clearly you aren't a well man."

"Elizabeth, do I have a fever?" he asked her not ready to explain that he was perfectly well and more than physically healthy enough to be thinking about other things than his being shot..

"Well, no, not really." she conceded as she looked at him.

"Then how about we just wait. I am fine. Yes, I am in pain, but I hate the pills and would rather concentrate on something else. So, how about you tell me about your painting?" he asked squinting at the light paint strokes on the canvas to attempt to make out exactly what she had drawn.

Startled, because she really hadn't realized that she had drawn anything, she felt her heart begin to race as her eyes widened, then with a helpless look at Jason said "Oh dear, I didn't realize it was getting so late. I have to go get us some dinner."

With that, she rushed off to the diner, while Jason stumbled to his feet, then eased over and tried to work out what was on the canvas in his mind. Seeing the odd blob, it began to come into focus for him and he thought to himself that she must have been drawing a man if she was right, then then he saw the second drawing and pulled back a bit confused before going to lay back down when he heard footsteps.

When Bobbie entered the small studio, then asked where Elizabeth was, he said "She went to get us some dinner."

Bobbie frowned at that, she didn't like this, not at all she thought as she checked his wound and saw that it was beginning to heal.

"Well, I think you are doing well enough to leave now, Jason." she said firmly, her mind on what Audrey had mentioned on the phone about Elizabeth spending the night at the studio.

The older woman might not know that Jason was staying there, but she did and she didn't like it one bit. Jason was supposed to be with Carly, helping get her daughter out of her mess and Elizabeth, well Elizabeth was mourning the love of her life.

"Thank you for your help, Bobbie." he said then added "There is a bag on that table, would you make sure that Michael gets it. It is a Christmas present for him."

"I am sure that Carly would be glad to come and collect it from you at Jake's." she offered trying to get things back on track like they should be. "Or you could drop it off when you come to the Brownstone for the holidays. I know that Carly will be glad to see you. She has missed you. Michael has missed you."

Sure she had, Jason thought cynically. Sonny had been by and he knew that AJ was now aware that Carly had slept with the other man. Carly had been looking all over for him, desperate for him to help her fix her mistake.

"And after all, poor sweet Elizabeth is still mourning Lucky, I am sure that Luke and Laura are going to want her to spend the holidays with them, so that it helps to take away some of the pain of losing their son. She is such a joy for them, a way to keep Lucky alive."

"Your being here is only confusing the poor girl. She is clearly not acting like herself. Do you know that she was so distracted at the diner yesterday and didn't even recall that the song playing was Lucky's favorite Christmas carol. She is getting all tangled up in your life and forgetting what she owes Lucky, that without her, the family has nothing left of him."

Elizabeth who was outside, had been about to open the door when Jason asked quietly "Bobbie, you make it sound like you think Elizabeth shouldn't move on from Lucky. Like she should mourn your nephew for the rest of her life. That isn't fair to her. She is barely eighteen, not eighty."

"She owes it to Lucky to be there for his family, Jason. Stop this friendship, leave her alone." she said firmly. "Besides, I am thinking that Elizabeth and Nik should get together, that way..."  
>Thankfully Bobbie's phone rang and the red head quickly answered it. "Yes, of course Tammy, I will be right there."<p>

Hanging up, she frowned at the blond man lying on the sofa and said "Jason, it is time for you to go."

Leaving, she missed seeing Elizabeth slipping out of the bathroom down the hallway and into her studio as she tossed down the bag holding their dinner. "Jason, we need to talk."

"I am getting ready to leave, Elizabeth. Thank you for you're help." he said as he tried to pull on his boots. Seeing him grimace, Elizabeth was beyond furious with the red head who had just left.

Elizabeth picked them up from in front of Jason's feet, then tossed them across the room and gathering her courage said "Where are you going to go?"

"Home." he said grimacing, home used to be a room above a dingy bar where he slept when he could. Home had become a small dingy studio in a rundown building on the docks, with the beautiful brunette across from him.

"I would tell you you aren't ready but we both know that you are too stubborn to listen to me." she said then sat down across from him on the floor Indian style then resting her elbows on her knees looked at him. "However before you go, I need you to do what you do best."

"What is that?" he asked with a smile at the beautiful picture in front of him.

"Listen." she said then told him. "The Spencers wish I had crawled into Lucky's grave with him. If they had their way, I would have been buried right along side of him. I let them push me into mourning long past when I was really over him. I loved Lucky, don't get me wrong, but..."

"But?" he asked seeing the conflicted emotions on her face as she tried to find the words to say what she had to.

"But lately I have come to realize that I wasn't in love with him." she said flushing with guilt. "I did love Lucky for what he did to help me, but I am strong enough now to look back and see that all he did was help, I did it. I survived what was done to me."

When he looked at her, his eyes a swirling blue mess of color, she continued. "I have been growing stronger, growing up and no one wants me to. Grams needs me to be quiet and demure, the Spencers act like I am Lucky's widow. I am neither."

"I don't know what happened with Carly and Sonny." she said softly, her eyes no longer meeting his. "BUT FROM what I heard, I can guess. I know you are thinking on leaving. I heard you talking to that blond guard. You aren't ready, Jason. Not just yet. At least not if you go alone."

"What are you saying Elizabeth?" he asked, his head spinning as ideas grew in his head, so much for Tony Jones' theory he had no imagination. Clearly from those thoughts, he not only had imagination but one in which he had vivid dreams of Elizabeth.

Taking a deep breath, she said "Take me with you. I swear I am not running away from my problems, I have a little money saved up. I can take care of myself, but to be honest, I can't go alone. Let me come with you?"

"Elizabeth, your family... What about Emily?" he asked not sure if she realized what was going on with him, not sure if she knew he was in love with her.

"I love Emily, but right now, she is another one of those who wants me to mourn Lucky forever. Jason, if that answer is no because you don't want me to come, just say so." she stated almost holding her breath, hoping he realized she really did want to go with him, that he had become one of the few people in her life she completely trusted.

Jason had another version of the word come in mind at what she had said, hell yes, he wanted her to come and in many many ways but he wanted her to be sure this was what she wanted.

"Elizabeth, you should know, I am not planning on coming back at least for a couple of years."

"That is fine, I can make money along the way..." she trailed off then asked uncertainly "If that is alright with you."

Not telling her he could more than afford for them to go traveling the rest of their lives if they wanted to, he didn't know how to breach the one subject they hadn't. The attraction between them but that could wait, they were about to have all the time in the world.

With a smile, he reached out for her hand, when she gave it to him, he used it to get her next to him on the sofa. "Well how about this, I buy this place so we have a home base, for your paintings, for anything we buy along the way. I have to make a few calls but can you do something for me?"

Nodding silently she waited with baited breath for whatever it was he wanted her to do.  
>"Go back a bag, do you have anything at your grandmother's you want?" he asked staring intensely at her.<p>

"I have a few things I should remove." she stated hesitantly, not sure what or why he was asking.

Jason saw the resolution in her eyes then made the call and said "Johnny O'Brien is coming over to drive you to her house, your grams is at GH. You need to pack quickly and return. We can take care of the stuff here tomorrow."

Going with the guard, she missed seeing his partner talking to Jason in the doorway of the studio. "Carly is stalking out the room at Jake's waiting for you to come back there. Jake is getting pissed."

"That's fine. I have everything I need from there. Tell Jake if she keeps bothering her to call the police." he told the other man. "You were right, the other day about what you said. I, well we are going as soon as possible. Can you arrange the vehicle."

"Yes, what about Sonny?" he asked his eyes intent on the younger man wanting to know he could stick to his plans.

"I will write a letter, he can find it here the next time he shows up." he said then asked. "Watch over Emily, if you can."

"The men will keep her safe." he reported "So, you are finally going to tell her?"

"Not right now, for now, we are going to travel, get to know each other, before I spring the truth about my feelings." Jason said then rested his head on the sofa. "One more thing, the Spencers, if they come looking, will you handle it?"

"They won't find you. The ID'S and the car are clean, you know how to access the money. Are you worried about them?" he asked his mind on Carly and how she had no problems using Luke when they had mutual goals.

"No, at least not right now." he said but added. "When they realize we aren't coming back, I expect Luke to look and to ask Sonny to locate Elizabeth."

"It will be dealt with. You are making the right choice." the man said just as Elizabeth returned with two duffel bags.

"The only stuff I have that I am worried about." Elizabeth didn't know how to tell him, most of it she had packed up before and the clothes in the closets had been left behind, they were the clothes she had bought when she had allowed herself to be twisted into Lucky's perfect girlfriend, not the woman she truly was.

"Good, now I need you to do me another favor." he said with a grimace. "I can't get my stuff at Jake's because Carly is stalking my old room. Would you please go shopping for me?"

"Sure." she said with a grin as he gave her the list of sizes and brands. Looking down she groaned as her question of earlier was still not answered and she still didn't have the courage to ask.

Hearing his phone ringing, Jason handed it off to the guard who quickly left along with his mate standing outside the door. Twenty minutes later, the studio was full of people, an hour later there was no one, nothing in it when Bobbie Spencer _accidentally_ let slip to her daughter where Jason was staying.

Carly rushed over, saw the door was slightly ajar and entered. There was nothing there, no furniture, no tacky art work, and most importantly no Jason. What the hell? She thought to herself as she called her mother.

Bobbie turned white, then rushed over herself. Entering, she looked around, then said "I swear I was here four hours ago, there were paintings all over the place, Jason was laying on the sofa, barely able to move. I don't understand, maybe he called Sonny, had him get him out of here like I suggested. But still, that doesn't explain Elizabeth's stuff being gone too."

Carly quickly called Sonny then heard the man say "He is gone. He left me a note and Francis found it when he showed up to check on him for me."

"Well that doesn't explain Elizabeth Webber's studio being empty." she snapped furious with the other man, this was all his fault. "What the heck is going on, Sonny, where is Jason?  
>Where the hell is that bitch Elizabeth?"<p>

That was the question all over town that evening as Bobbie called Audrey, then Monica to ask if she heard from either of them. Emily was stunned at hearing they were missing, the Spencers were convinced that Helena grabbed Elizabeth, after all she wouldn't go with Jason. She was still mourning Lucky.

Christmas came and went, the various interested parties were growing more and more concerned that the twosome were together in spite of all the reasons they shouldn't be. Luke went to see Sonny, he didn't give much credit to his sister's rantings, but hey, he would kick over every single rock, after all, Lucky would want them to make sure Elizabeth was still his girl. That she would always be his girl.

"I have no idea, Jason left town, said he had a bead on the man who shot him." he said shrugging annoyed by the visit. "I am sure he just set it up for Elizabeth to be safe. After all, she did help him, but we both know, he is not interested in Elizabeth that way, she is too young. "

"Well if he calls, find out where Lucky's girlfriend is, my wife is concerned. She wants to know what he knows." he said then left to rejoin the party.

Sonny was given the news a few days later that Jason had called Francis early one morning. Annoyed at the way his employee was not keeping in touch, he snapped "Why didn't he call me?"

"Said he tried your phone was busy." said the man with a shrug even as he saw the desperation in the man's eyes.

"When is he coming home?" asked Sonny a few days later after a visit from the head of the family's.

"He said he had something to do, but that as soon as he got a new cell phone, he would be sure to call us with the number." said the blond Italian not telling him that Jason didn't consider himself an employee any longer.

Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, Lucky came home, died again, Carly left AJ for Sonny, then Sonny for AJ, then AJ for yet a different man, Jason still didn't call with that new number.

The Spencers were convinced that Helena had killed Elizabeth, after all she would never leave, never desert Lucky's memory that way. As the year past, no one really knew, except Lila, then several months before the older woman died, Emily Quartermaine that Jason and Elizabeth had left town together.

That they had married, that they had two children, no one knew, not until Emily had married a young doctor named Patrick Drake. They flew in for the wedding, there was stunned silence when they announced they were not staying for anything after the wedding.

"You promised to call me when you got a cell phone." said Sonny when he managed to get closer to Jason furious with the man since he had lost everything and it could clearly be traced back to the day Jason didn't do his job.

Jason raised his eye brow and said "Well if I ever do get a cell phone, I will be sure to give you the number."

"You expect me to believe..." Sonny was furious but nothing compared to Carly who was kept away by the Morgan family guards as she gritted her teeth when she saw the three children with them. All clearly Jason's, all clearly that muffin faced bitches.

Bobbie had seen them, she was well past caring, Luke was dead, he had killed his liver with booze, Laura was locked up for killing Rick Webber, Lucky well, Lucky was long gone and then there was Lulu who they had found out was really Scott Baldwin's child.

Nothing had turned out the way she had expected, thought Elizabeth as she saw her grandmother nodding her way then walk out without a word. She had left town, expecting to eventually be left behind by Jason like everyone else in her life had done to her.

Instead she was a mother, a wife, an artist and most importantly, she was herself, not some twisted up emotional wreck, which is what would have happened if she had stayed behind.

"Mommy, when are we going home to Italy?" asked their little girl as she tugged at her hand.  
>Jason lifted his daughter as they watched Emily leave the church with her husband and said<br>"That depends..."

"On what daddy?" asked the three year old with the big blue eyes and long brown hair.

"Whether or not your mommy can remember something very important." he said with a teasing grin at his wife. "See last time we left town, your mommy spent a very long time in the store. We almost didn't make it out of town in time, do you want to know why?"

Nodding enthusiastically, he leaned over and said to Elizabeth. "So, Elizabeth, what was it you wanted to ask me last time."

"You are so not funny, Jason Morgan." she hissed with her face flushing in spite of all the years of marriage, in spite of all the times she had seen him wearing the answer to the question. "I was just a kid. I mean, you know what I mean."

"Elizabeth, you were the one who insisted on returning the ones I didn't use. We were almost caught by my mother." he said with a smirk and a wink. "All because you couldn't find out how to ask something as simple as boxers or briefs?"

"I did ask." she stated mumbling quietly so as to not be heard by the multitude of people pretending not to eavesdrop, "In the end, I did ask."

His mind on the two of them sitting in the car in front of Wyndham's seven years before, Jason could still see her face as she bit her lip then said "Uh, Jason, you have down here underwear, but do you mean... I mean... I don't... do you want boxers or briefs? Which do you wear?"

"Neither." He had answered, then finally gave in to his need to give TLC to that well bruised lip from where she had been biting it. Jason leaned down, squeezed her checks until her lip popped out from between where her teeth were gnawing it, sucked in the pain and pulled the plush lower lip into his mouth and gently soothed it with his tongue then eased back  
>Seeing her shock, he said "I wear boxer briefs, black or dark gray please and you had better hurry."<p>

Pulled back from his memory as their children scrambled into the waiting car, he looked at his wife then said "Should we stop at Wyndham's for old memories sake?"

"Why, I seem to recall that was only the first in a long line of questions during our trip." she said and watching him blush said "And Jason, right now, the answer to the next question you asked, is no, I am not wearing one."

His eyes traveled down her chest, then said "I can't tell. What proof do I have that you aren't just saying that to torture me since we have a long flight home with three very inquisitive kids who won't let us take a nap."

Leaning in even closer to their daughter's annoyance, she whispered "What kind of proof are you looking for? I really don't think with all the eyes on us, you can cop a feel, here, Jason."

Raising his eye brow, he leaned in and said "Are you so sure about that?"

Groaning, she said "Why do I think you took that as a challenge? Jason, behave, do you really want to be caught by your grandfather with your hands down my shirt. Or worse, Carly?"

Resting his hand on her back, he ran it up and down, caressing her through the thin silk then said "I already have my answer and I don't give a crap if Carly sees me touching my wife."

"Jason, I am more worried about the fit she would throw, do you really want the children to see her acting that way?" she asked. Seeing his eyes full of mischief, she said "No, behave Jason Morgan."

"Let me see, now why would I start doing that now." he said then let go of their three year old's hand, looked at Francis as it to say keep an eye on her then reached for Elizabeth and pulled her into his arms. Lowering his head with an ease from years of doing so, he gently caught her chin in his hand and captured her lips in a mind numbing kiss.

Elizabeth could in the distance hear the sound of screeching, the sound of some chuckles as well as their kid's disgust but mainly she heard the sound of her husband's beating heart as he reminded her once again of why she fell in love with him. 

The end!


End file.
